- 09/25/2011 (9:02:12 pm)
- Bob Mulrenin
…
TNA knockout Tara interview from www.IYHWrestling.com
by Taso the Greek
Tara aka Victoria joins the IYH hosts for the second part of the show. Tara calls out Jack and Inchman about being their favorite Knockout, and talks about her trainer Rob Conway and his metro sexual ways.
Tara talks about her match with Sojo Bolt, her first friend in TNA, and their match to benefit animal rescue upcoming for Remix Wrestling in Ohio. Tara said that Sojo was a great friend in TNA but she was gone way too soon, but now her new friend in TNA is Miss Tessmacher, Brooke Adams. Tara talked about how she gets along great with Tessmacher, and brings up her skill and the fact that she was trained as a wrestler in WWE. Tara said that Tessmacher has the best ass in the business. She went on to say Tessmacher works out four hours a day in order to look that good, though.
Jack asked about the importance of looking good as opposed to being a good wrestler. Tara explained that you need to have both to succeed. She said that the best wrestlers do not get TV time and she experienced this in WWE. She went on to talk about the differences between WWE and Impact Wrestling when she first got to TNA. It was different and refreshing to her to see that wrestling was more important than good looks. The women get as much air time in the ring as they want as well, another difference from WWE. “Walking on egg shells” was another way she put it, her time spent in WWE compared to being in TNA.
Tara and the hosts talked about the main event between Gail Kim and Awesome Kong, and also her main event cage match against Mickie James. She talked about first meeting Awesome Kong. She mentioned that she has not been used a lot recently on TV with Tessmacher as Womens Tag Champs, but she had no problem going to her bosses and explaining to them that she wants to be a fighting champion. Another difference between TNA and WWE is that you can go to your bosses and tell them how you feel.
Tara talked about the PWI 50 and how it is important to her to be number one on that list. If you are in the wrestling business, you should be trying to be #1 on that list until the day you can no longer wrestle. She hopes to wrestle for a long time.
Her dream match was to wrestle Chyna. She credits Chyna for helping her into WWE. She hoped to get a match with Chyna in TNA but it did not happen. She would also like to wrestle Eve Torres. She practices BJJ , as does Eve, and this moves the conversation over to UFC. Tara felt that when she first talked about working in MMA she was younger and if she had jumped right in she might have been able to give it a try. But now she feels that women aren’t appreciated in the MMA world. She brings up an injury she suffered on her elbow in her cage match with Mickie James, and that was the end of any serious thought about MMA.
Tara talked about gimmick matches like ladders matches or cage matches. She felt that it was an honor to do a match like that because it meant people had faith in her to do a match like this. They are dangerous and one wrong move could end your career, so they are very scary to do.
Tara talks quickly about radio shows and radio interviews and how most interviewers don’t even know what most women wrestlers do, which she finds insulting.
More on Remix Pro wrestling: Her match against Sojo Bolt is for the #1 contendership to the title, which would mean a match against Sara Del Ray. Tara explained how huge of a match that would be for her as she felt that she would mesh very well with Sara. Also, Tommy Dreamer will be at the show and Tara talked about Tommy Dreamer’s Top 5 Crazy People in the Business list and where she is situated on that esteemed honor roll. Tara talked about Tommy and Chavo Guerrero and how you develop relationships in the business.
A caller asks what is the craziest thing Tara and Brooke Adams do? Tara mentions a Youtube video that everyone can check out of her and Brooke dancing around in a hotel room. Tara and Brooke will break out in song & dance almost anywhere, which sometimes freaks people out. She mentions that she is a huge Vampire Diaries and Twilight fan. She also said she is a huge Twitter fan as well. She talked about how she rescues dogs as well, and mentioned how crazy wrestlers are in general.
- See Tara live October 8th vs former TNA knockout Sojo Bolt in Marietta, OH for Remix Pro Wrestling's 4 Warned !!! For more information please visit:
www.remixprowrestling.com
- Follow Tara on Twitter @REALLiSAMARiE
- Check out Tara's video Q&A on www.youtube.com/REALLISAMARIE
by Taso the Greek
Jack E. Jones and OneInchBiceps are joined by Chris Masters to start the show. Chris Masters was honored to get a massive “BAH!” from the Power Goat. Chris was on IYH after the first time he was released from WWE. This marks the second time he has been on IYH, and also the second time he has been released by WWE. Jack wants to know what Chris did to get back into the WWE. He said he got his personal life together to start. One week, WWE was at the Staples center in California, and Chris went to the show and shook hands with everyone, met with Johnny Ace, and two weeks later he was rehired. He said he was not mature enough the first time and so he took responsibility for his mistakes. He was addicted to drugs up to a year after his release, and he felt that he was very young when he first was signed by the WWE, at age 19. Coming back, however, he did not have the machine behind him giving him a massive push like he had before. So it was very different the second time around, as he had to do the best he could with what he was given. But it made him highly motivated in other aspects of his wrestling game.
Chris talks about his matches on Superstars and how he felt that he improved his in-ring work. He wanted to prove that he wasn’t just a muscle-head. He also wanted to stay away from the pectoral flexing gimmick, as he again wanted his in-ring work to shine. He started to understand how to work in the ring better the second time around, especially as a baby-face. Jack asked Chris if there were any veterans that helped him improve in the ring. Chris brings up Shawn Michaels as a guy who helped him a lot and at one point even gave him the opportunity to call the matches on many house shows as they traveled around the horn. He mentioned that HHH and Vince McMahon also noticed huge improvement in his in-ring work and told him that he had enhanced his skills a lot. At that point there were thoughts of repackaging him and giving him a new push. That is one reason why he was surprised by his release, because he kept hearing that he was going to get a push and a new gimmick. However, since that didn’t materialize he felt that maybe he should have taken the initiative in other aspects of the wrestling game. On whether he feels he will return to WWE in the future, he felt heartbroken to some extent, but he won’t base his life upon the WWE. He mentioned TNA, Japan, and Hollywood as possibilities for his future.
Thoughts on his size compared to WWE wrestlers next to TNA wrestlers? He thought maybe Japan he would be a giant, but TNA has guys like Matt Morgan. He sees himself as more of a muscular guy, and not a giant.
He talked about discussing his future with HHH. He talked about doing a different gimmick where he would just be called “Masters”. He felt that it was important to evolve and maybe he could move on from the “Masterpiece” gimmick.
Did he meet and talk to Ozzy Osbourne when the Prince of Darkness hosted RAW? Ozzy was quiet and kept to himself but Sharon was very nice, said Chris.
The entire handshake custom was brought up and Chris said it was a very big deal in pro wrestling. He said you have to be respectful to everyone. He remembers one time he missed shaking Bob Holly’s hand, and Holly wigged out and wanted to fight him. He said that it is also a matter of being comfortable with people as well.
A caller asked about the difficulties of working out and proper nutrition when you are on the road. Chris talks about Wafflehouse, and how he at first hated it, but then he got used to it, mainly because it was a 24 hour eatery. He mainly eats protein and skips the carbohydrates. He also likes Cracker Barrel. The caller asked another question, if people want to take the Masterlock Challenge on the street, to which Chris says yes, people want photo opportunities in the Masterlock. He isn’t crazy about doing it though because he feels he could be sued if someone were to get hurt. He doesn’t lock the fingers behind the person’s head in order to not kill them.
Christine calls in with a question. What was his favorite part of working with Eve Torres? He said it was awkward at first because he never worked with a valet before. He said Eve was a strong, independent woman, and wanted to be treated like one of the boys.
Ryan wanted to know, who was his favorite and who was his least favorite person to wrestle. Chris said HBK was obviously the guy he liked working with in his first run, and in his second run he enjoyed working with Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. He liked how Dolph bumped around the ring. Drew had great timing and liked to work snug, just like Chris liked to work. He also talked about Jack Swagger and how he was a bit stiff in the ring, but they eventually were able to work together. Jack Swagger is stiff, said Chris, as was JTG.
Chris and Jack reminisce about tent shows in Cape Cod, Maine, and how they do not have them anymore.
Gene the Drunk wants to know if Chris likes rum & coke, or vodka & cranberry? Chris can do both but prefers vodka & cranberry. Question about Matt Hardy and if Chris and the WWE knew about his problems? Chris said the signs were obviously there and people were worried about him. He talks about rehab, his own time in rehab, and what it took to get himself right. He talks about pain killers and how they go from helping to becoming a problem. He talks a little about injuries, the pharmaceutical business, and the Wellness Policy of the WWE. He talks about how he got tested and the outcomes.
Fontana wanted to know how they came up with the “Masterpiece” gimmick, and Chris gives credit to Matt Morgan when they were in OVW. The Masterlock was an old-school finisher and Chris talks about it, the internet’s criticism of it, his own thoughts on the move, submission moves, and WWE’s use of the move and how they built it up. He also talked about how the WWE tried to recondition the fans to more wrestling as opposed to hardcore. Chris talks about the Masterlock and The Big Show and how he was the one wrestler he could not get the hold on him.
Harley Race and his school, WLW, are brought up and Chris talks about his experiences there. He called it the best time and the best promotion he worked for on the independent scene. Chris also talks about one time where a promoter did not pay him and how the police had to show up at a hotel where this person had holed up. Chris tells an interesting story about getting stiffed on the independent circuit here.
Lablueguy asked about wrestling Goldberg in Congo, Africa. Chris says to keep an eye on his twitter as he will be updating the fans about that show, which should happen in the beginning of the next year.
How about TNA? Chris said he has a few good friends in TNA like Matt Morgan and RVD, so anything is possible. He said he won’t rule anything out now that WWE has released him. He may do something in Hollywood, or he might even go back to college. Chris said he wanted to make a difference. The IYH hosts and Chris talk a little politics at this point.
Chris talked about various wrestling promotions, and then he brought up Hulk Hogan’s midget wrestling program and how he couldn’t turn the channel, even though it was terrible. Chris gives his insight on Hogan’s Micro-Championship Wrestling, which than leads him into talking about shoot promos and the recent CM Punk push. Chris gives his thoughts on shoot promos, real versus worked promos, and the CM Punk angle with HHH.
Chris talks about ring rats! He compares the ring rats of years ago compared to ring rats of today. Chris gives his thoughts on midgets, and perhaps the most famous current midget, Hornswoggle.
Bobby Lashley is brought up, and Chris talks about how he was one of the strongest guys he had ever been across the ring against. He called him athletic and genetically gifted. He talks about people’s different talents and skills and Lashley was just a powerhouse.
Thoughts on the internet and the criticisms he got from many people in the business invokes some interesting comments from Chris Masters. He talked about how he started in the business as a wrestler and not as a bodybuilder, he talked about the criticism he heard and how it made him feel, and how he felt he had silenced his critics with his most recent work in the ring on Superstars.
More questions came up about his pectoral flexing gimmick. Chris said that the gimmick was a Brian Gerwitz’ creation. He talked on how he truly felt about the gimmick and how he tried to make the most of what he was given in the WWE. In general, he was not a fan of the gimmick.
The interview with Chris Masters ends with him sending Tara aka Victoria, a little love.
- Follow Chris on Twitter @wwemasterp
- For booking information email: [email protected]
For the whole audio interview please visit: www.IYHWrestling.com or subscribe in iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/neal-jones-podcast/id385508745
